Geminid meteor activity is picking up as Earth moves deeper into the debris stream of rock comet 3200 Phaethon

Last night alone, NASA’s network of all-sky cameras detected 22 Geminid fireballs over the USA. This one, which split the sky above the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, was easily seen through the glare of the gibbous Moon

Geminids range in brightness from near-invisibility to shadow-casting fireballs. In recent nights, lunar glare has interfered with the visibility of fainter meteors. This will change in the nights ahead as the Moon wanes and Earth moves deeper into the Geminid debris stream.

Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Dec. 13-14 with as many as 120 meteors per hour. Wherever you live, the best time to look is during the hours between midnight and dawn on Saturday and Sunday.

Got clouds? No problem. You can still experience the Geminids by listening for their echoes in this live audio stream from Spaceweather.com’s forward scatter meteor radar.